Muddy George is Bloorcourt’s new menswear boutique

Muddy George, a new menswear addition to Bloor West, opened up a few weeks ago just east of Dovercourt. It’s the passion project of Altaf Baksh, who, after nine years in in the corporate world, left his job as an HR analyst to open the boutique. The shop sells well-made apparel and accessories for guys (soft flannel shirts, crewneck sweaters and twill chinos from brands like Levis Made and Crafted, Muttonhead and Fred Perry). Despite having zero retail experience, Baksh has a keen eye for timeless, top-quality pieces. “You’re not going to find any obnoxious graphic tees here,” he notes. There’s a strong focus not just on local labels (of which there are plenty—including clothes made at Outclass’s Spadina and Dundas factory), but also on garments produced where the companies are located: whether it’s made-in-Japan denim from Edwin or duffel bags from Montreal-based Woolfell. In short, shoppers can expect to find plenty of versatile pieces that’ll outlive annual closet purges (we can’t imagine guys will get over patterned button-downs anytime soon). And prices are fairly wallet-friendly, too: clothing ranges from about $100 to $250—with the exception of a $495 18 Waits cardigan that was hand-loomed in PEI. “It actually smells like it’s from the Maritimes,” laughs Baksh.